OAR 461-160-0415: Medical Deduction; SNAP

(1) This rule explains how to calculate the deduction for medical costs in the SNAP program allowed under OAR 461-160-0055 when incurred by an elderly (see 461-001-0015) member of the filing group (see 461-110-0370) or by a filing group member with a disability (see 461-001-0015). (2) For each certification period (see OAR 461-001-0000), the Department estimates the amount of the client's medical deduction and apportions the amount evenly among the months in the certification period. For medical costs payable during the month of certification, the client may choose to deduct each cost in the month of certification or to average the cost over the certification period. (3) For medical costs that were not anticipated when the deduction was estimated but are incurred and reported to the Department during the certification period, the client may choose to deduct each cost: (a) In the month after the cost is reported; or (b) By averaging the cost over the period from the month after the cost was reported to the end of the certification period. (4) If the client is billed in the last month of a certification period for a medical cost that is due after the certification period, and the client does not pay the bill during the certification period, the cost may be used to compute the deduction in the next certification period. (5) Medical costs paid with a credit card are treated the same as if the cost were paid in full. The ongoing credit card payments are not an allowable medical deduction. (6) A medical cost is not deductible in any of the following situations: (a) The client reports a paid medical cost in the last month of the redetermination period, but reports this cost after their benefits for that month have already been issued. (b) The medical cost is past due, is an amount carried forward from a previous billing period, or has been paid by the client in a previous certification period. (c) The client and creditor have agreed on a monthly payment amount, but the client defaults on the agreement.